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Abbey's Real BBQ
The last few years I have been looking for a really good BarBQ restaurant in San Diego. My father worked for Wilson Foods and specialized in pork. He had a smoker in the backyard and often cooked ribs and picnic hams and even turkeys. We traveled all over the world, including Argentina and Brasil and my dad was a plant supertendent in those plants. He was a master of cooking meat, hands down. This week I was longing for a good picnic ham and without much of a plan I purchased a boneless boston butt cut ham, about 5 pounds. My initial plan was to buy a small smoker and smoke it on the patio of my apartment, but I discovered it was against fire laws. So, I called Phil’s to ask them to smoke it for me, and they informed me that they did not smoke things there. My jaw dropped and I got to thinking of my last two visits there and realized the meat was tender, but not tastey. Oh they have great sauces for sure, but the meat itself was lacking and that was why I did not like it. So I called around San Diego no responses. Finally I emailed Abbey’s Texas Barbq up on Clairmont Mesa Blvd between the 163 and I15 on the south side, you can’t miss it. I wrote her a short note asking if she could smoke my hams for me. She called me back 30 minutes later at around 8 pm and said she would be happy to. I called her Sunday evening and she said if I brought it in the morning of Monday. So I arrived at Abbeys at 11 am on Monday and without even saying a word she say "Hello Henry." Apparently my Trader Joes bag in hand had tipped her off that I was the guy bringing a picnic pork shoulder for smoking. She looked at my ham and told me how nice it looked and took it back to her refrigerater, we arranged for me to pick it up the next day at 4. I went ahead and purchased 2 pulled beef bbq sandwiches and 2 cokes. Total for the sandwiches and the ham smoking was 20 dollars. I took my sandwiches home and realized I had found something truly rare. SHE is an ACE bbq cook. OH MY OH MY her sandwiches were delicious and I could not wait and Alison my fiancée and myself were lickin' our chops all day Tuesday over going to pick up our picnic. Abby a young lady with long curly hair and a smile and good memory for names greeted me again on Tuesday, but this time Alison came with me to meet her since she too agreed about the fabulous smoked taste and texture of the meat. The picnic ham was out of this world and I cannot describe in words to anyone that does not know or experienced true aromatic wood smoked meat that is hand rubbed and brushed for hours. The ham looked like a dark red and lacquered brick and you just tugged at any bump on it and the meat pulled off and so tender it melted in your mouth with an explosion of flavor only true bbq lovers know is the core you need before the sauce goes on. Her place is small but Abbey makes first class smoked meat . I know cookin’ she is the real deal.— June 10, 2009 6:06 a.m.